The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer

£14.99

BRF Centenary Classic

ʻLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.ʼ
This ancient prayer has been known and loved by generations of Christians for hundreds of years. It is a way of entering into the river of prayer which flows from the heart of God: the prayer of God himself, as Jesus continually prays for his people and for the world he loves.


Title The Jesus Prayer
Author Simon Barrington-Ward
Description

ʻLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.ʼ
This ancient prayer has been known and loved by generations of Christians for hundreds of years. It is a way of entering into the river of prayer which flows from the heart of God: the prayer of God himself, as Jesus continually prays for his people and for the world he loves.

Simon Barrington-Ward teaches us how to use the Jesus Prayer as a devotional practice, and opens up the Bible passages that are crucial to understanding it. ʻWritten out of long experience, Simon Barrington-Ward's book is one of the clearest, practical and most timely introductions available.ʼ David Runcorn, author of Spirituality Workbook: A guide for explorers, pilgrims and seekers

Details
  • Product code: 9781800390874
  • Published: 20 May 2022
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 128
  • Dimensions: 130mm wide and 198mm high

ʻLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.ʼ
This ancient prayer has been known and loved by generations of Christians for hundreds of years. It is a way of entering into the river of prayer which flows from the heart of God: the prayer of God himself, as Jesus continually prays for his people and for the world he loves.

Simon Barrington-Ward teaches us how to use the Jesus Prayer as a devotional practice, and opens up the Bible passages that are crucial to understanding it. ʻWritten out of long experience, Simon Barrington-Ward's book is one of the clearest, practical and most timely introductions available.ʼ David Runcorn, author of Spirituality Workbook: A guide for explorers, pilgrims and seekers

The Right Reverend Simon Barrington-Ward was General Secretary of CMS from 1975 to 1985, became Bishop of Coventry in 1985 and retired to Cambridge in 1997. He travelled widely, speaking on prayer and spirituality, and died in April 2020.

 

The Julian Meetings Magazine December 2022. Review by Ann Moran

The Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) have reprinted Simon Barrington-Ward‘s book on The Jesus Prayer as part of their Centenary Classics Collection. First published in 1996, this new edition, a reprint of the 2007 2nd edition, is a hard-back that is a beautiful object to see and handle, and a pleasure to read.

This book remains one of the best introductions to the Jesus Prayer. Quite short, it contains a huge amount of wisdom, guidance and scholarship, all expressed in clear and simple language. The BRF website has an excerpt to read, including the list of contents.

Simon Barrington-Ward tells about his own discovery of the prayer and its practice. He gives much information on the biblical roots of the prayer, its early use by the Desert Fathers and its development from Evagrius in the 4th century through to the present day.

The book gives clear instruction on how to practice the prayer, its value in intercession and the use of the traditional Orthodox knotted prayer cord, called a Chotki (Russian) or Komboskini (Greek). Barrington-Ward speaks from his own experience of the prayer, and was known for always carrying a prayer cord with him.

The book includes an excellent bibliography for those who want to learn more. However, it is not knowledge that is important but the practice of the prayer, which is very simple. It‘s a practice of the presence of God, and it is being in that presence, relaxed and alert.

Reviewed by Ann Moran